Contacted/declined for susceptible fraud?

Contacted/declined for susceptible fraud?

So my Discover card was flagged from the fraud department today after my purchase at Dunkin Donuts. I received a email and call from Discover to verify my DD purchase made on my discover card. They also wanted to verify two recent purchases at a restaurant (just to play it safe, I guess). I have never used my Discover at restaurants since opening it last September (I used my Zync for restaurants), but since Discover is now offering 5% at restaurants, all my restaurant spending is going on my Discover. I guess I can understand why my sudden change in spending habit triggered a fraud alert. I guess I would have to contact Discover in the next 5% category to prevent any fraud alerts, since I only use my Discover for its 5% categories and online portal.

So how many times have you been flagged by any cc for susceptible fraud? I know Amex placed a hold on my Zync, and immediately contacted me in the first month of getting my ZYNC for making three charges in a single day. Now, I can charge up to five times, and no problem.

Re: Contacted/declined for susceptible fraud?

I have a strange gas station in my town (Delta in Bloomfield, NJ if someone knows the area) - I used it with credit cards only TWICE in my life. Results were:

1) Amex BCE - declined at the pump, next day - declined in grocery. Had to call in - they placed a fraud alert after the pump tried to authorize $100 upfront.

2) Same gas station, BofA Cash Rewards. Several weeks after using it there because my BCE was declined (and there were no other transactions with that card at all! I use it very rarely due to a low limit) I got a letter informing me about account closure due to possible fraud and several days later I got a new card.

Needless to say, I'm not visiting that gas station anymore ) 2 out of 2 is a little bit too much...

Re: Contacted/declined for susceptible fraud?

I don't think you need to contact them in advance (the only time I do that is if I'm traveling). Once they learn your spending patterns everything will be fine. It's scary how accurate they are with their fraud alerts, most of the time, even unusual purchases I make don't get flagged.

Re: Contacted/declined for susceptible fraud?

scientifics wrote:

I don't think you need to contact them in advance (the only time I do that is if I'm traveling). Once they learn your spending patterns everything will be fine. It's scary how accurate they are with their fraud alerts, most of the time, even unusual purchases I make don't get flagged.

+10000

I work in fraud for a bank and that's pretty much what we tell our customers. Even if you tell us in advance, theres little we can do prevent you from getting flagged since its not a person reviewing each charge and deciding if it should be approved. Its a computer, the banks pay people to come up with all these different strategies and formulas to determine what will be declined and what should be let go in a matter of seconds. We would rather call you after the fact to verify or have you call us after the decline, instead of you calling ahead of time, having false expectations, and then still have to speaks wit us after anyway.

Re: Contacted/declined for susceptible fraud?

Last year, I was purchasing some $25 Amex gift cards and was flagged for fraud. Had to call in and verify the purchase through an automated phone system. Also happened once on my HSBC on a recurring charge I recently added on to the card. Same thing, had to call and verify through the automated phone prompts.

Re: Contacted/declined for susceptible fraud?

1) Mobile top up with a UK provider. Top-up of anonymous SIM cards is apparently a good way for thieves to see if a stolen card has been reported, like a small gas purchase late at night in the US

2) Purchase of (pet) medications from a UK supplier.

They don't like their cards being used out of a region, even with a travel notification. (My daughters card got declined in the UK, even though she had told them, and they phoned here to talk to her, which didn't work very well.) I would get a UK Cap One card if it were easy!

Re: Contacted/declined for susceptible fraud?

1) Mobile top up with a UK provider. Top-up of anonymous SIM cards is apparently a good way for thieves to see if a stolen card has been reported, like a small gas purchase late at night in the US

2) Purchase of (pet) medications from a UK supplier.

They don't like their cards being used out of a region, even with a travel notification. (My daughters card got declined in the UK, even though she had told them, and they phoned here to talk to her, which didn't work very well.) I would get a UK Cap One card if it were easy!

Charges out of the UK are very risky. About half the fraud I see on a daily basis comes from there. And we do the same thing, even when notified of travel, we still may block it just because its a high risk merchant or high risk location. Same with gas stations, charges out of FL, CA, GA, MI, or NY very high risk states and activity...

Re: Contacted/declined for susceptible fraud?

1) Mobile top up with a UK provider. Top-up of anonymous SIM cards is apparently a good way for thieves to see if a stolen card has been reported, like a small gas purchase late at night in the US

2) Purchase of (pet) medications from a UK supplier.

They don't like their cards being used out of a region, even with a travel notification. (My daughters card got declined in the UK, even though she had told them, and they phoned here to talk to her, which didn't work very well.) I would get a UK Cap One card if it were easy!

Charges out of the UK are very risky. About half the fraud I see on a daily basis comes from there. And we do the same thing, even when notified of travel, we still may block it just because its a high risk merchant or high risk location. Same with gas stations, charges out of FL, CA, GA, MI, or NY very high risk states and activity...

Yes, with Chip&Pin everywhere, UK criminals have turned their attention to weaker targets, which is US-issued credit cards at present!

But those are some big states you have listed there! Surely you don't query all charges from those places?

Re: Contacted/declined for susceptible fraud?

1) Mobile top up with a UK provider. Top-up of anonymous SIM cards is apparently a good way for thieves to see if a stolen card has been reported, like a small gas purchase late at night in the US

2) Purchase of (pet) medications from a UK supplier.

They don't like their cards being used out of a region, even with a travel notification. (My daughters card got declined in the UK, even though she had told them, and they phoned here to talk to her, which didn't work very well.) I would get a UK Cap One card if it were easy!

Charges out of the UK are very risky. About half the fraud I see on a daily basis comes from there. And we do the same thing, even when notified of travel, we still may block it just because its a high risk merchant or high risk location. Same with gas stations, charges out of FL, CA, GA, MI, or NY very high risk states and activity...

Yes, with Chip&Pin everywhere, UK criminals have turned their attention to weaker targets, which is US-issued credit cards at present!

But those are some big states you have listed there! Surely you don't query all charges from those places?

Yeah we are fazing in the chip cards for some customers who travel frequently or request it, and its going to be standard issue for certain affinity cards that are aimed at travel i believe.

LOL No, we don't block all the charges (let some of our more dramatic customers tell it and we do though). What I look at it really only a pin drop of the transactions that come in to us as a whole. Plus they have figured out what merchants are more likley to be fraud in those areas. And if the cardholder doesn't live in those states and there are no signs of travel, then its mostly likely fraud. Lots of counterfeit cards running around in those states.

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION: All FICO® Score products made available on myFICO.com include a FICO® Score 8, along with additional FICO® Score versions. Your lender or insurer may use a different FICO® Score than the versions you receive from myFICO, or another type of credit score altogether. Learn more

FICO, myFICO, Score Watch, The score lenders use, and The Score That Matters are trademarks or registered trademarks of Fair Isaac Corporation. Equifax Credit Report is a trademark of Equifax, Inc. and its affiliated companies. Many factors affect your FICO Score and the interest rates you may receive. Fair Isaac is not a credit repair organization as defined under federal or state law, including the Credit Repair Organizations Act. Fair Isaac does not provide "credit repair" services or advice or assistance regarding "rebuilding" or "improving" your credit record, credit history or credit rating. FTC's website on credit.